Driving under the influence for marijuana is the same offense for driving under the influence of alcohol in DC. Its a serious crime in the District of Columbia. For first offenders, DUI charges carry a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and or a $1,000.00 fine. Having said that, there is no felony DUI charge in DC. That means the offense is a misdemeanor no matter how many times someone gets arrested for it. However, DUI and DWI cases in DC are the only misdemeanors in the entire D.C. Criminal Code that carry mandatory minimum jail sentences for certain aggravating factors.

Mandatory minimum jail sentences require a judge, under the law, to impose jail under certain circumstances. That means the judge could honestly believe the defendant is a saint but, if convicted, under certain circumstances, would have to impose jail. The fact that DUI cases carry potential mandatory minimum sentences, unlike any other misdemeanors in DC, shows how serious the criminal justice system takes DUI charges in DC.

Unlike most jurisdictions, the District of Columbia Superior Court does not operate on a cash bail system. That means there are no bail bondsman in the District of Columbia. In addition, how much an arrested person can pay has no bearing on whether the person actually gets released. Instead, the D.C. code has something called the Bail Reform Act, which creates a condition-based system for pretrial release.

There are certainly benefits to the approach but also some problems. Unlike many states, no person arrested will languish in jail because they cannot afford to pay a bondsman. However, the condition-based system actually has a practical effect of essentially putting the defendant on probation before even getting convicted. For most misdemeanor offenses, like DUI and simple assault, the judge will release the individual on personal recognizance. Personal recognizance is just on the person’s promise to return to court.

Most crimes by law cannot be prosecuted if a certain period of time has elapsed between the time of the incident and the time the victim reports the incident. This is referred to as the “statute of limitations.” For the most serious types of sexual assault (first and second degree), the statute of limitations is 15 years. For third- and fourth-degree sexual assault, the statute of limitations is 10 years.

Sexual assault is a serious crime that is aggressively prosecuted in the District of Columbia. To understand what conduct constitutes sex assault, the District of Columbia Code sets out four degrees of behavior. D.C. Code 22-3002 defines first degree sexual assault and provides a maximum penalty for the crime at life imprisonment.

The answer is complicated but probably not. In 2015, the District of Columbia City Council passed legislation that legalized marijuana under local law. The legislation codified Proposition 71, which was a voter initiative that the citizens of the District overwhelmingly supported. This paved the way for a new era in marijuana laws in the DC. However, Republicans in Congress have each year interfered with the will of local voters and put a “rider” into a spending bill that blocks the local government from the ability to create a regulatory mechanism for recreational dispensaries.

Getting arrested for a DUI in DC or another criminal offense can have a serious impact on an individual’s security clearance. In addition, someone who has past criminal charges applying for a security clearance may have issues obtaining the clearance depending on several factors. The purpose of this post is to answer some frequently asked questions about the impact of DUI or criminal charges on an individual’s security clearance.

What is a security clearance?

Military personnel, government employees, and government contractors may need access to certain classified information as part of their jobs. Accordingly, the federal government has devised a regulatory scheme to issue licenses for individuals to access this information. There are typically three types of security clearances. A confidential security clearance is the lowest level of clearance. Second, a secret clearance is the next level up. Finally, top secret is the highest level of clearance. Public Trust and Controlled Unclassified are lower designations that do not constitute security clearances but typically involve a background check. The level of access to information needed will usually determine what level of clearance the applicant needs.

Getting arrested for a DUI in Washington DC is a serious offense. Penalties for a conviction can include loss of license, higher insurance, fines, and jail time. However, getting arrested is not the same as getting convicted. If you are arrested for a crime, the law presumes you are innocent until proven guilty. However, if you plead guilty and get sentenced or go to trial and are found guilty by a judge or jury, you are no longer innocent. You have been convicted.

Just getting arrested for a DUI can lead to a suspended license and other consequences. However, if your case gets dismissed or you go to trial and are found “not guilty” you will not have a conviction on your record. Because its important to try and avoid a conviction, the following is list of 10 ways to challenge a DC DUI. Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list, all cases are different, and there are no guarantees any of these strategies will work for your specific case. The point of this article is to demonstrate that there are many options for challenging a DC DUI arrest.

The District of Columbia has notoriously strict gun laws. However, a series of court cases in the Supreme Court and lower federal courts have, to some extent, made obtaining a concealed carry permit feasible. As discussed in previous posts, several important cases have chipped away at the District’s prohibition of the possession of, registration, and carrying of firearms in the city.

The purpose of this post is not to be a treatise on these cases but its important to note the general holdings in these cases. In 2008, the Supreme Court, in Heller, held that the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution applied to the District of Columbia and stated possessing a firearm at home for self-defense was a constitutional right. In reaction to that decision, the City Council passed cumbersome regulatory laws that permitted individuals to register a firearm to possess at home for the purpose of self-defense. Simultaneously, the City Council barred anyone from carrying a pistol outside their home or place of business.

The District of Columbia has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation. While federal courts have on several occasions struck down D.C. gun laws, the city still maintains some of the most restrictive policies for gun owners.The District of Columbia has some of the toughest gun laws in the nation. While federal courts have on several occasions struck down D.C. gun laws, the city still maintains some of the most restrictive policies for gun owners.

The first step in lawfully possessing a firearm in the District of Columbia is registering it with the Metropolitan Police Department. This must be done at MPD headquarters located at:

For a city dedicated to the admiration of the Constitution and the nation that it founded, Washington, D.C. has a history of having some of the strictest gun laws in the country. It’s protection of the 2nd Amendment Right to Bear Arms has always been heavily regulated and severely enforced. On July 25, 2017, however, the tide seemed to turn when a panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 that the “good reason” requirement in obtaining a license to carry a pistol in the District is unconstitutional. The United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in Wrenn v. District of Columbia, struck down the District’s licensing scheme for obtaining a license to carry a pistol outside the home for self-defense.

Prior to this ruling, citizens had to prove that they had a “good reason” (ie. a job that makes them carry a lot of cash or valuables, or being in a position where one would be targeted) to carry a concealed firearm. Now, if this decisions stands, this might no longer be the case.

The District of Columbia is unique for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that there are dozens of police departments whose officers regularly patrol the city. Between the Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Secret Service, the Metro Transit Police, the United States Park Police, the Capitol Police, the myriad university police forces and more, D.C. residents can practically be pulled over or arrested anywhere by any force at any time. That being said, it is always helpful to have an understanding of the different federal and local police forces which have jurisdiction in Washington, D.C. and to know their jurisdictions. Here is an overview of some of the most prevalent police forces in D.C. who can pull you over and potential arrest you for a DC DUI or DWI:

1. District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)

The Metropolitan Police, or MPD, is the local police force for the District of Columbia, and its jurisdiction covers the entirety of the District. MPD operates like any other city police department and serves the city as its local police force. MPD is probably the most common agency to make arrests for DUI’s in DC and many of the MPD officers are certified to administer the standardized field sobriety tests and operate breathalyzer machines.